Lhasa & Namtso Bike Tour

This is the first day in Tibet. Your guide will greet you at Lhasa Gonggar Airport/Railway Station and transfer you to your hotel. It usually takes around 1 hour to drive from Lhasa Airport to downtown Lhasa and takes about 20 minutes from Lhasa Railway Station. Tourists could have a look at the Yarlung Tsangpo River, the largest and longest river in Tibet on their way to the hotel. After check-in, you can have a good rest first. And if you feel like going out, you can wander around the city. But just remember that don't take too much stuff, try to go with a light pack. Meanwhile, drink some more water, and do not move strenuously. It’s really useful to get acclimatized to the high altitude.

Stay overnight in Lhasa

In the morning, you are heading to Drepung Monastery, which means Monastery of Rice Heaps in the Tibetan language. It’s a white magnificent building complex that looks also like rice heaps in the distance. Drepung monastery is the largest Tibetan Buddhist monastery, where lived more than 10 thousand monks in the past.

In the afternoon, you will pay a visit to Sera Monastery, which is one of the “great three” Gelug monasteries of Tibet. Monks debate from around 3 pm to 5 pm. If the debate is not your type, you can also see the three sand Mandalas and colorful Rock Paintings of Buddha. Besides, the sight here is quite good because you can see wild roses around. That’s why people also call it “the Court of Wild Roses”.

Stay overnight in Lhasa

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In the morning our guide will meet you at the hotel and first take you to visit the famous Potala Palace, the cardinal landmark of Tibet and the masterpiece of Tibetan architecture. It was first built by the 33rd King - Songtsen Gangpo in the 7th century and rebuilt later by the 5th Dalai Lama in the 17th century. Now it's a museum and world heritage site. 

In the afternoon, we will go to visit Jokhang Temple in the center of the Lhasa old town. Jokhang Temple is the most sacred temple in Tibet and it is always bustling with earnest local pilgrims since the early days. After that, you will take a walk around the Barkhor Street - one of the most devotional circuits as well as a crowded central market of Lhasa. Barkhor Street is a very ancient round street surrounding the Jokhang Temple and the locals are always proud of it. As a symbol of Lhasa, it‘s also a must-see place for visitors.

Stay overnight in Lhasa

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Riding a bike about 66km from Lhasa to Tsurphu along the Qinghai-Tibet highway, totally takes about 6.5 hours. The road is pretty good and smooth along the National Highway G109. After leaving G109, you’ll ride 25 kilometers along a rural road by the Tsurphu River. Along the way, you’ll see many farmland and local villages.

In the afternoon, you can visit Tsurphu Monastery, an ancient and historic temple nestled in a peaceful river valley. It is the main temple of the Karma Kagyu sect. The reincarnation system of living Buddhas in Tibetan Buddhism was first created here and was later promoted by other sects in Tibet.

Camp outside of the village under the monastery

The mountains standing around Yampachen Valley are 5,500-6,000 meters above sea level. There are modern glaciers on the top of these mountains and relics of the ancient glaciers in the valley. Located at approximately 4,500 meters above sea level, Yampachen is famous for its geothermal resources that produce much of the electricity for the capital Lhasa. It is also famous as a hot spring resort. Yampachen lies just south of Nyainqêntanglha Mountains, in an upland lush green valley surrounded by the tents of nomads with grazing yak and sheep populating the hillside.

You can soak your feet in the wild hot springs near Yampachen to relieve fatigue. The natural geothermal springs, surrounded by stunning landscapes, offer a perfect place to relax after a long ride.

Stay overnight in Yampachen

As you cycle through this stunning terrain, you’ll be surrounded by vast Tibetan grasslands and rugged mountain ranges. The Nyainqêntanglha Mountains loom to the south. The route takes you through remote landscapes, where you'll occasionally see nomadic camps. Yaks and sheep graze along the rolling hills of the grasslands.

Damxung, situated at an altitude of approximately 4,300 meters above sea level, is known for its vast, windswept plains and breathtaking mountain views. The area is rich in natural beauty, with the clear blue skies and snow-capped peaks creating an awe-inspiring backdrop.

Stay overnight in Damxung

You can see Nyenchen Tanglha Snow Mountain along the way from Damxung to Namtso Lake. Today’s most difficult ride is to climb Mt. Nagenla Pass (5,190m), but the good thing is our vehicle is standing by, always ready to take you if the bike ride becomes too difficult for this section. After going through Mt. Nagenla Pass, you can see vast green grassland dotted with nomad tents, sheep, and yaks. Soon afterwards the turquoise Namtso Lake will come into view taking your breath away. You can ride a bike along the sacred lake, as well as the highest salt lake in the world. you can also do a light trek to Tashi Dor Island at the lake shore, exploring its meditation caves. 

Stay overnight near Namtso

Rise up early to see the sunrise at Namtso Lake, as the sun rises over the lake, the surrounding mountains are bathed in golden light, creating a truly magical atmosphere. After enjoying the sunrise, you will return to Lhasa by car instead of cycling back.

In the afternoon, we will visit Norbulingka, which is a typical Tibetan-style royal garden, the summer resort of the Dalai Lama. There are a lot of towering trees, exotic flowers, and plants in the garden, as well as many collections of cultural relics, Buddha statues, pagodas, thangkas, murals, etc. They are all very precious treasures.

Stay overnight in Lhasa

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Your tour ends today. Our guide and driver will collect you from your hotel to transfer to Lhasa Airport/Railway Station for your next destination.